The Price of Salt
by unrequitedexistence
Summary: What if Holly and Gail had actually "met" before?


A photographic memory. That was what Gail Peck liked to call her trained eye. Ever since she was a little girl she always enjoyed getting lost amongst the crowd. There were two main reasons for that. The first one, which led to this becoming a hobby of sorts, was getting to spend some time away from her mother and having her later on find her and take her into her arms as if she were the most precious thing she owned. Elaine's face expression, when she found her wandering daughter, was one of love, a look that the older woman didn't show much and that her daughter seemed to crave a bit too much, or so her mother thought. The second one? Now that was slightly more poetic. Gail Peck learned at an early age that people tend to be their truest selves when thinking that nobody, not even one soul, is watching them. She witnessed people falling in love and out of it, she witnessed hearts getting broken and getting mended... she learned the power of a stranger's smile, a comfort gesture, a cup of warm coffee in a cold morning...

Till this very moment people-watching is still one of Gail Peck's favorite hobbies and that was actually how she _met _Holly Stewart.

The first time she saw the brunette was at a bookstore. She wasn't able to see her face at first for she was hiding behind the pages of a book. A very special book. The way the brunette held it oh so carefully in her hands made Gail curious. Who was the stranger that seemed so enamored with one of her very favorite books?

_The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith._

Patricia Highsmith had always been one of Gail's favorite writers. She enjoyed the way the author led her into a journey of self-discovery. With each novel she found herself pondering humanity and what we, as human beings, are capable of doing and feeling. The boundaries felt way less strict when written and discussed by Highsmith in the form of stories that kept Gail awake through the night till she reached the very last page.

_The Price of Salt_ was even more special, though. What Gail absolutely loved about it was that the main relationship portrayed seemed to be everything but functional at first. The fact that it was between two women was the least of the reader's worries. From the moment it started one couldn't help but wonder what exactly had drawn Therese to Carol. Could be accepted as physical attraction at first, that was certainly understandable, but after all the strange meetings at Carol's place? Why would Therese keep coming back? It just didn't make sense. The characters were everything but perfect, their imperfection almost touchable due to its greatness. And yet, they fall oddly in love. And you find yourself witnessing the moment in which reality falls in love with itself instead of what it expects itself to be. And there's so much beauty and hope...

"_It always gets late with you."*_

Everything just felt _possible_. Even to a screw up.

Holly seemed to be completely lost in the story for she didn't put the book down, not even for a moment. She was still standing there, exactly where Gail had found her once she had walked in quite a few minutes ago, leaning against once of the shelves. She was completely at home. Nothing in her posture gave away any sign of discomfort. She was exactly where she was meant to be.

If Gail had been curious about the book's holder at first, she was now openly staring at her. It was the aura of mystery that surrounded the brunette that made Gail make her next move. She went to the cashier and bought Holly the copy she was reading. She then asked the guy to go over to her and let her know the good news. He seemed reluctant at first but something in Gail's raised eyebrow made him go.

Holly _had_ to look up from the pages to talk to him...

She was breathtakingly beautiful, even if slightly annoyed for having been interrupted. That only made Gail like her even more. She had then the pleasure of witnessing first hand as the brunette's features softened at the sound of the news. She looked down at the book and back at the guy, rewarding him with a lopsided grin that Gail would later learn to be her signature.

Curiosity killed the cat, they say? It might have. For a second Gail's heart did skip a beat, but afterwards… she couldn't be gladder to be alive. She ended up buying herself another copy and leaving, happy to have found a moment worth of being remembered and told later on as a story. She was now going to re-read it, probably for the millionth time. She was going to re-read it as if she were reading it alongside the brunette with the kindest eyes – even when annoyed.

The second time Gail saw Holly the brunette was again reading The Price of Salt at one of the blonde's favorite cafés. Gail only noticed her when she raised her eyes from the book to order a refill. She smiled as she recognized the brunette and ordered a refill of whatever she was having too.

Again the annoyed look.

Again the crooked smile.

This time their eyes met and Gail, not knowing what to do as she felt herself drowning in the brunette's dark brown ones, just simply raised her mug, gesturing to the book that she too was reading. That was the first time Holly smiled directly at her and Gail found herself grinning back before simply shrugging and refocusing her attention back on the book. Or at least trying, hiding behind its pages, as none of them seemed to find a good enough reason to break eye contact first.

_I will take the fall_ _for this one._

It became a weekly thing. It was like a date without actually being a date. They never really talked to one another unless by coffee cup messages.

Once Gail walked in, in a hurry, and was on the queue to the take out when she noticed the brunette reading. She was apparently already done with _The Price of Salt_ and was now reading something else by Patricia Highsmith. She seemed completely lost in the words – as per usual. So Gail bought two and asked one to be delivered to her.

_"It always gets late with her, huh?"_

For the next couple of weeks they didn't run into each other. It made Gail sad. Seeing the brunette smile had become one of the highlights of her day.

Once, after having _the_ worst week on the job – yet –, she actually asked about her at the café. They said she had been coming in later on weekdays and mostly on weekends and then they asked if Gail knew the price of salt. At first she was confused but then she was told that Holly had left a message for her. She almost giggled out loud at the adorableness of the gesture. She had left a coffee paid for her and a note saying,

_"Anticipation! It occurred to him that his anticipation was more pleasant to him than the experiencing."*_

She was quoting _Strangers on a Train_. Did that mean that she too missed seeing her? That perhaps anticipating seeing her there was much more pleasant than actually getting there and finding her nowhere to be seen? She hoped so.

And that was how it went for a few months. They kept missing one another but there was always a warm cup of coffee left behind and a quote.

It was later that year that they actually met _for real_. They ran into each other at the crime scene and Gail couldn't help but stare as she slowly realized who she was talking to – or who was talking to her, for Holly seemed to be trying to make up for all the moments they had shared in silence.

New coffee and reading schedule apparently meant new job. And what a job it was!

They never really talked about it till Holly's birthday. It was the first time they ever spent it together and they were discussing first impressions over dinner as Holly was trying to talk Gail into meeting her friends.

"They are going to love you."

"Nerd, let's be honest here. You're the only member of my fandom."

Holly rolled her eyes as she took another sip of the wine Gail had brought her.

"You have friends."

"I have co-workers."

Gail corrected the brunette as she brought the fork back to her mouth, chewing slowly on another piece of heaven baked by Holly herself.

"Come on, Gail. You know that's not true. They absolutely adore you."

"They have a strange way of showing it."

"So have you."

Holly half mumbled as she looked down at the still untouched dessert on her plate. She didn't have to look back up to know that the blonde was staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

Gail asked, putting her fork down as she studied the brunette.

"You are far from being _conventional_, honey."

Brown eyes came up to meet blue ones.

"Is that such a bad thing?"

Holly reached across the table for one of Gail's hands, taking it in hers and squeezing it in a reassuring way.

"Of course not. It's who you are and I love you for it. Every single inch of you."

"So why don't we spend our time worshipping every single inch of me instead of going out?"

The suggestiveness of Gail's voice tone made Holly smile and shake her head softly.

"Because they are like family to me. And so are you."

"Wait, is this some sort of marriage proposal?"

"It could be. But don't you want to meet the family you're marrying into first?"

"Fine. But I am not marrying anyone else but you. I mean, not now, but if ever. I am fine with seeing them every once in a while, even if they hate me or vice-versa. But I am in a relationship with _you_, not with your family. Not with anyone _else_."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. I have to give you your gift first."

Gail smiled as she brought Holly's hand to her lips, kissing it gently before getting up from her chair so that she could go get the gift she had bought.

A first edition of _The Price of Salt._

"Oh no, you didn't. It's one of my favorites."

As Holly opened it, closing her eyes for a moment as she buried her nose into it, Gail couldn't help but think about that first day when she saw her for the very first time. Nothing had changed. She was still a mystery and Gail was pretty sure that that was never going to change.

"I know. I gave you your first copy, remember?"

"I knew it was you! I never got the chance to thank you for the first one..."

Holly came to sit on Gail's lap and brought both hands to meet at the back of Gail's neck.

"It always gets late with you..."

"I will take it as a compliment."

"_How was it possible to be afraid and in love... The two things did not go together. How was it possible to be afraid, when the two of them grew stronger together every day? And every night. Every night was different, and every morning. Together they possessed a miracle."_ *

*Patricia Highsmith


End file.
